Find Posts By Topic

Posts categorized under SDOT Blog, Author at SDOT Blog - Page 39 of 47

A New Color for Olmsted Boulevard Signs

We’ve received quite a few questions in the past week on the new brown street signs going up at various intersections around the city.  If you’ve been wondering about the signs, here’s the scoop! The brown street name signs highlight the historic Olmsted boulevards that exist throughout Seattle. Responding to a request… [ Keep reading ]

Be Safe When You Use Your Feet to Trick or Treat

Halloween is a fantastic occasion to walk about our city and meet our neighbors. While we embrace the Halloween spirit by adorning our favorite ghoulish attire, it’s important to remember that the chance of a child being hit by a car on Halloween is nearly double that of any other… [ Keep reading ]

Concrete is Flexible

If paving roads is a dry weather sport, why are we starting new projects in the rainy season?  Because concrete isn’t as picky as asphalt.  That’s the simple answer.  More specifically, asphalt is commonly applied at a temperature of 300-degrees-plus and if it cools down too fast the result isn’t… [ Keep reading ]

Think Globally, Act Locally

Last week we posted on Shrinking Big Foot; a program on Climate Change for elementary schools. Well, last Sunday his Excellency the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon attended a performance of the Shrinking Big Foot assembly followed by a discussion with the kids who attended. One of the kids… [ Keep reading ]

International Arboriculturists of the World, Unite!

If you were traveling along 35th Ave SW the Friday before last, you probably noticed a ton of activity in the trees lining the street. Troop of misplaced monkeys? Migrating flamingos? Nope, even better. Arboriculturists. Approximately 30 Arborists from 12 local tree care firms that are members of the International… [ Keep reading ]

Safe Routes to School Mini-Grants

Studies have shown that there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of children that walk or bike to school on a regular basis. Back in the1960s, more than 40 percent of children used their own two feet (in one way or another) to get to school and reaped… [ Keep reading ]

Westlake Square “Triangle” Gets Friendlier

Westlake Square, the triangular section of property bordered by Stewart Street, Sixth Avenue and Westlake Avenue, will soon be a more user-friendly public space! As part of the Westlake Hub Transportation Strategy SDOT, in cooperation with Parks, will spend November removing the walking barriers and non-functional items and replacing them… [ Keep reading ]

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a hybrid crane

The roadway structures group in SDOT (who maintains our bridges and overpasses, among other things) was one of the first groups in the state to add a hybrid truck in their fleet. When they did, the technology was new and unproven. The group worked with the truck manufacturers to meet… [ Keep reading ]

Bridge Repair – Next in Line

If you’ve been reading the blog with us for a while you know that, just like growing apples and cherries, paving streets and sidewalks in Seattle is a seasonal activity. Paving and rain don’t mix well, and we got a taste this weekend of the rainy days that are soon… [ Keep reading ]

Rain Gardening

Seattle is known worldwide as the Emerald City thanks to our lush, verdant landscape.  Of course we have Mother Nature to thank since she provides the 38 inches of annual rainfall that makes our city so green.  So where does all that water go?  In urban environments like Seattle, most of our rain… [ Keep reading ]